


Between the Lines

by triangleshape19



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015), supercorp - Fandom
Genre: Character Study, F/F, I Love Lena Luthor, Pre Season 2, SuperCorp, angsty, it’s SuperCorp I swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-05 10:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13385478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triangleshape19/pseuds/triangleshape19
Summary: With a sag in her shoulders and teeth to her lip Lena pauses a moment...“Well, have you ever gone back, read a book or watched a movie a second time, and interpreted it in an entirely different way? Because I’m afraid I'm starting to look back on my life and I’m thinking I’ve really missed out on a lot”.





	1. October 3rd 2016

“So what brings you to see me today?” The question comes from a mousy blonde woman, hair neatly braided with a steno pad perched on her lap. There is a deafening pause between the two women. With a slight shift in her seat, the brunette on the couch lifts her drinking glass to her crimson lips.

  
_Why are you stalling already? This is literally the easiest question…_

  
“I’m sure you’ve seen the news.. As it would seem, I will be moving to a different city and starting a new job”. The client pauses a moment before continuing, “I know it’s been a while since I’ve last been here, but I figured I would check in before I leave”.

The therapist purses her lips, considering what she has just heard.

  
_Shit, what did I say... how long is left anyway? 56 minutes Fuck!_

  
The inner monologue is interrupted by a response “What is it that has you so worried?” - taken aback by the direct question, the brunette barely hides her surprised expression. Rambling, she replies,

  
“Well change is always hard...I don’t know. I just figured this was the kind of thing I’ve learned to touch base with you about...  If I’m completely honest with you Claire, I’m not entirely sure what has me so worried”.

  
Leaning forward, Claire trades her steno pad for the tea beside her, the therapist continues to listen. The brunette, desperate to fill the silence continues to spill, “You know what, you’re pretty good at this... I'm usually completely and totally iron clad, guarded even- But with you, I can’t even get away with part truths, you always see through it”

 _and it’s absolutely infuriating..._ she adds to herself.

  
She swears she sees a faint smile appear across from her between sips of tea. Claire retrieves her steno pad as she settles in across from her client. She asks plainly.

“Lena tell me, have you been keeping up on your journaling? Self reflection outside of these sessions is almost more important than our time together”

  
_Ugh crap…_ Sulking slightly, wishing in that moment to be swallowed up dramatically by the couch cushions, fixing her expression she replies “I have been, well kinda, sparingly- in my packing I’ve actually come across a whole box of my journals and photos... they’ve been... interesting to re-visit to say the least”.

  
“How so” Claire asks.

  
With a sag in her shoulders and teeth to her lip Lena pauses a moment...“Well, have you ever gone back, read a book or watched a movie a second time, and interpreted it in an entirely different way? Because I’m afraid I’m starting to look back on my life and I’m thinking I’ve really missed out on a lot”.

  
As Claire scribbles, scratching at her steno pad - Lena lets out a slow breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

_53 minutes... great_

  
\- - -

  
There’s a click of the lock and a toss of her keys, Lena eyes a singular rose abandoned on the kitchen counter.

  
_That romantic bastard..._ The card attached reads “best of luck -j”

  
Fiddling with the rose for a moment longer, she thinks fondly of the man who had given her too much of his kindness over the years. Coming back to the present, she scans her penthouse and makes note of the unfamiliar scenery. The movers had boxed most of her belongings with only the necessities left out for the evening - This includes her whiskey of course. She wastes no time consulting her decanter.

Turning about, tumbler in hand, Lena exhales. She decides against visiting her laptop for the night, deciding nothing could be done right now to eliminate the stress of the next 24 hours. Massaging her temples for the moment she thinks back on her day.

_Why am I so wound up - I have nothing to worry about LuthorCorp is thriving. The apartment in National City is furnished and the movers will have it all unpacked for me before I ever leave the office._

She ventures to the kitchen, refills her tumbler and wanders out onto the terrace. Resting her elbows on the ledge she gazes out at the Metropolis skyline. Sipping, she considers the faint blue spherical logo in the distance - The Daily Planet. Shifting her gaze skyward, she frowns at the lonely moon - urban lights drowning out it’s celestial companions that had always brought Lena a sense of comfort.

After a chill sets in, she retires to her bedroom - eyeing a box beside her bookcase, the label reads “journals”. She lets out an exhaperated breath recalling what particular memory lane she had traveled last night. Draining her glass, she looks to her bedside table where her current leather bound journal lay, tucked neatly under her latest novel. Settling in, she considers sleep, only briefly of course, and opts to bring pen and paper together for the first time in a long while.

  
\- - -

  
_October 3rd 2016_  
_Tomorrow I begin a new chapter in the Luthor legacy, taking the helm of LuthorCorp HQ in National City. I intend to move the needle, make it a force for good._

  
Reading back over her entry, Lena scowls, noting that it’s been a while since she has written anything for pleasure, typically her writing has been reserved for reports or proposals - all with the intent to gain something from it- it’s been far too long since she wrote something for only few eyes to read. She continues writing,

  
_Let’s consider “Luthor”  -_ _I’m both proud and afraid to stand behind that name. It’s notorious and comes with preconception. How much is nature and how much is nurture that has shaped me? What if I do become like my father, my brother or my mother._

  
Mother…

  
\- - -

  
The last word sits idly on the page, pen hovering momentarily before being retired to the bedside table. Shutting her journal with a snap Lena flops back onto her pillows.

“Tomorrow should be interesting” she says to no one in particular.


	2. October 4th 2016

_October 4th 2016_ _  
_ _Today could have gone worse, Mr. Wayne seems interested in the direction I intend to take the company - more brood filled meetings with him are set for the future I’m sure._ _I miss the lab. Touring this facility had me itching to get involved with the research and calculations - I’ll have to settle for asking questions for now._

\- - -

The move to national city was uneventful, her transition into LuthorCorp CEO however couldn’t be more stressful. Lena was used to the living in the lab, tinkering away at various projects and running calculations dressed business casual with a lab coat - this was her uniform, her armor, it’s how she felt she fit into the world best.

  
She now finds herself at the end of her workday, elbows propped on her desk pressing the cool glass of a recently drained tumbler to her forehead. Freeing her hair from its professional ballerina bun, she glances at the clock.

  
_11:37pm well, I’ve been known to do worse_

 _  
_ The day had been long and drawn out, chock full of meetings with various board members, investors and constant introductions to a whirlwind of staffers. Lena looks down at her abandoned heels, her toes dreading donning them for the walk down the driver awaiting her. Collecting her things, she notices the TV in her office.

  
“In other news, all eyes are on the youngest Luthor - Lena Luthor spotted arriving to LuthorCorp’s national city HQ today -how will she fare in the wake of her brother’s atrocities?”.

  
Scoffing Lena clicks off the TV and heads to the elevator.  _Damnit Lex - I never wanted this attention. Worst of all, now I’m fair game for gossip and tabloids - worst of all Ryan Seacrest ugh._

 _  
_ She will never understand why her favorite brother had done what he did -making enemies of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight (and a certain Demi goddess whom Lena could not fathom had missed making the headlines). Of course, soon to follow was the fall from grace with the public. Lex had thoroughly destroyed the trust the people held in the Luthor name, all because of his crusade against a certain Kryptonian.

After the arrest, Lena had done well to manage the corporation from a distance these past two years, but the time had finally come for her to adopt a more “public persona” as her PR rep had told her.

  
“If you want to change how people think about LuthorCorp, they need a new face, a new brand to subscribe to - otherwise LuthorCorp will continue to remain synonymous with ‘bald evil genius brother’ ”

  
That bit stung, but not as harshly as the next “Oh and we will definitely be arranging for a stylist to assist you with your physical public appearance as well”  _Mother is relishing in this somewhere at the moment I’m sure._

  
She ponders this memory as she crosses the lobby, her driver at attention at the curbside.

\- - -

  
When she arrives back at the penthouse, she debating her affair with the decanter when she finally, turning her attention to the stove.

 _Tea is probably best_ she asserts and retrieves her favorite mug from the cabinet.

Her place was nearing the more final stages of unpacking. The rest of her wardrobe had arrived and was nestled neatly in the closet. Books adorning her shelves as they always had in apartments last, with one exception... the familiar box of journals set to the side.

There’s a note on top. It reads “please advise, wanted to respect your privacy -Jess”.  _Smart woman_ Lena thinks to herself as she lowers to the floor to inspect the box.  

_Why did I keep these, they can’t be of any good to me_

_  
_ Thumbing through, Lena comes across a bright green notebook. It’s stuffed pages protected by a wrapped rubber band, keeping it’s treasures intact. She hesitates for a minute, pondering mid sip of her tea.

  
_Fuck it why not_ Lena brings the fluorescent book with her to her favorite reading chair.

“Lena Lutessa Luthor” is repeatedly practiced in variations of print and cursive covered many of the pages. She smiles at some of the playbills and movie tickets she comes across, before landing on an entry. Her smile grows to her eyes as she dances across the pages, Lena remembers the day of a particular entry vividly

  
\- - -

 

 _July 13 2000_ _  
_ _Today mommy and lex and me went to the mall. It’s a busy place. I got a new book called the “book of answers” it’s purple. I almost finished reading it but then it was time for dinner. Mommy and Daddy were quiet and Lex wasn’t there, he was hanging out with Clark. I like reading after dinner best. -LLL age 6_

  
\- - -

  
It was a sweltering mid summer day, Lena wasn’t sure why she got to tag along with her brother and her mother - she was just happy to be with them. The mall was crowded, it seemed to be a sanctuary from the heat for some. Lena found herself in awe of her surroundings.  
“Mommy there are so many people here!” She observes.

“Well of course honey, they’re here to spend their money on things” Lillian supplies hoping to appease Lena’s curiosity. “Lex are you sure you absolutely need this book today? We could sent away for it and it would be here within the week”. Lillian asks mid sigh, visibly irked to be out on public.

“No mother its critical for my experiment” Lex assures her. Lex and Clark have spent most of the summer together and have been working on “a project”. Lena finds herself pulled into the storefront of their destination.

  
Lena froze in her tracks earning a yank from Lillian who had not realized her daughter had stopped following.

“What’s the matter Lena?” Lillian asks with annoyance and a sprinkle of concern in her voice.

“Mommy, it's so pretty” Lena breathes with her mouth agape.

“What is Lena?” Asks Lex.

“There’s just, so many pretty books!” Lena smiles widely and hurries along the shelves with her mother and brother.

 

\- - -

  
Lena closes the notebook with her finger holding the page. Smiling to herself she looks at her surroundings.

  
_So many pretty books_


	3. October 5th 2016

Lena awoke the next morning before her alarm

  
_Damn time zones_  She mutters to herself as she navigates her way to the kitchen.

 _Coffee_ Always a one track mind in the early (and late) hours of her day.

 

Feeling the caffeine permiate deep into her bloodstream she notes a stiffness in her neck and back. Deciding to trade her PJs for her sports attire, coffee and headphones in tow, she sets off to the gym in the lower levels of her new building.

   
Entering the gym she expected to be the lone idiot exercising at 4:30am, but low and behold there was another working on a heavy bag near the windowed wall of the gym, allowing only a silhouetted outline of strikes and kicks to be seen.  Lena surveyed the room until her eyes landed on her destination, the mat.  Settling into her stance, she begins quieting her mind, focusing on her the movements of her body with each breath. Yoga had become a place of calm for Lena (when she remembered to practice that is). Moving slowly through her motions she felt her body ease, muscles lengthen with air filling crevices of her lungs she didn’t know were in need of refreshing. All the while with headphones in place - in her own little world.

  
A vibration nearby brought Lena back to reality. Opening her eyes she realizes she is no longer alone on the large mat. She is instead in the company of what could only be a goddess herself. Long olive limbs crafted and moulded by the muscle that lay beneath.

 _Shit she’s looking - fuck she’s saying something._  Removing her headphones offering and apology,  Lena finds herself in conversation with the woman.

  
“What were you listening to? It doesn’t sound like your typical yoga mantras” the woman teases with a dazzling smile.  

Hesitating, Lena replies “Well truthfully, I work best at most things when I have my rock music on” Chuckling to herself she continues “I agree on the surface it doesn’t quite suit, but for me it works”.  

  
“Indeed to each their own. Although if I heard correctly I’m certain the artistry of Paramore is quite universal”

 _Who IS this creature_  

“Well I can already see we already agree on what's important” Lena muses

_What are you doing Luthor abort! abort!_

  
Abandoning her post on the other side of the mat the woman approaches. “I’ve not seen you here before, I’m Diana”

Rising to shake her hand, Lena notes how she barely comes up to the woman’s chest - firmly maintaining eye contact, Lena shakes hands.

_G_ _od herself is indeed a woman...snap out of it Luthor_

“I’m Lena, Luthor that is, I just moved in yesterday as a matter of fact, I’m very new here”

  
“Well then, allow me to welcome you to National City! I am currently working out of the the art museum, I accompany an exhibit on each of it’s stops along the way. So I’ve been subletting it this building for the last month or so. It really is a beautiful city I hope you can find time to enjoy it”

Captivated Lena can only nod along. Exchanging contact info, (for professional reasons certainly) Lena manages to skillfully stumble her way through conversing before Diana’s eventual departure

“I look forward to following your work Ms. Luthor” Diana calls as she moves to the exit.

“Likewise” Lena returns with a smile.

  
As soon as the door clicked shut, Lena suddenly found herself in need of a very cold shower if she were to go on about her day.

. _..Fuck... how is anyone supposed to think straight around that woman._

 

Grimacing, Lena resumed her stretching. She thinks back to when she uncovered Lex’s file on the Amazon princess and the others. She had suspected her brother had started to go off the deep end, all the while, Lilian couldn’t have been more proud of her golden boy. So Lena decided to use her superior computer skills to try and see exactly what her favorite brother had been up to. She accessed his server remotely, and with relative ease, she quickly began to realize how far astray her brother had wandered, especially in his ethics and values. As she skimmed the enormous collection of files on Superman, alerts continually poured in about other “supers” and meta humans. It would seem Lex had generated an algorithm to continuously compile intel on events and phenomena that could potentially lead to the discovery of “others”.  

Mulling over this information, Lena decides to add her own line of code - this would cause search parameters to make be lost, essentially slowing the search process substantially- creating a mess of data influx for the simulation to sort through.

Little did Lena know that at the time, buried amongst the jargon now flooding the info bank of Lex’s programming, there lay information about a particular blonde Kryptonian from Midvale.

  
Relenting, Lena lay on her back, thinking. She knew what it was to be “outed”, these supers and meta’s deserve their anonymity, in the least they deserved not to be added to the blacklist of the Lex Luthor witch hunt. It’s why she currently struggles with the proposal that landed on her desk just yesterday - “alien detection device” a residual pitch now turned prototype proposal for the mass market, leftover from the days of Lex and Lillian leadership.

Lena would be meeting with a mystery rep from Wayne Enterprises about it later today.

_Who knows maybe the Gotham Knight himself will make an appearance._

_  
_ \- - -

  
_October 5th 2016_ _  
_ _Found the gym in my building today - Made a new business contact while I was there as well. Still can’t decide whether my workouts serve me better at the start or the end of my day. Time will tell._

  
It was getting easier to at least to practice reflection each day, (even if her journaling still resembled the depth of her youthful writing) Lena found herself enjoying time witnessing the evolution of her handwriting and use of different slang as she traveled through the seasons of her past.

 _An introverts dream, one person therapy, no talking_ Lena thinks as she laughs to herself.

  
\- - -

  
_August 14th 2003_ _  
_ _Today Jimmy had a birthday party today, Mom and Daddy are off doing something so Mary took me - she’s very nice. Even told me to wear whatever I like and she said she wouldn’t even tell Mom about it. I made a friend but I forgot her name. I hope I see her next time we go._

  
Lena Lutessa Luthor, heiress to posh socialite family was wearing blue jeans, a sweatshirt and hockey skates- in public. Pleased that Mary allowed her this freedom on occasion, to “be a kid” Lena was taking full advantage. She wasn’t very close with any of the kids at the party, it honestly seemed more like a strategic congregation of powerful parents, easily doubling as a networking event.  

  
Oblivious of these less than subtle semantics of course, Lena skated along wearing a knit cap with tucked her braid up inside of it. Happily moving along to the echoing music lost in a daydream as usual. Life was relatively carefree for a 10 year old Luthor - she enjoyed her schooling, her reading and time spent wandering the grounds of Luthor Manor in solitude.

  
As her ankles tired she glided over to a rink side bench, feeling herself slip into a mindless daydream. Her zone out was interrupted by someone else exiting the ice, struggling slightly, the girl walks toward Lena.

“May I sit here for a minute, my legs are so tired” she asks, Lena replies with a nod. The girl is about Lena’s age, with green eyes peeking out from under a knit cap that housed gently curling locks of smoldering red hair. Dusting off the snow from her pants she lets out a sigh meeting Lena’s gaze. “I’m not very good at this yet” the girl sighs.

“Are you here for the party?” Lena asks hesitantly

“No my brother works here, he lets me tag along on Saturday’s so I can practice not falling so much”. Smiling sheepishly, the girl continues “I’m still new at this but I love it!”. Laughing along with the girl Lena cant help but admire her freckled cheeks when she declares her love for skating.  

  
Thinking back to when she first learned how to skate, leaping right into skating fast before learning how to stop properly... this of course resulted in many slips, abrupt stops and flops on her backside courtesy of the rink’s boards. Lena would later be grateful that it hadn’t yet been renamed “Luthor Arena” at the time, somehow she was sure she wouldn’t have been as fearless during her lessons if her name was embedded under center ice.

  
As the girls’ laughter dies down, Lena stands and offers her hand, “How about I help you practice then, I’ve had lessons and all”. The girl’s eye go wide at the offer, hesitating Lena hastily retrieves her hand “unless you need to rest more of course”. Beaming the girl pops up excitedly exclaiming “I’d love to!” and together they take to the ice.

  
They skated and fell together for what felt like hours, Lena’s stomach ached from laughing, her cheeks sore from smiles. They found themselves resting rinkside perched atop the ice cleaning equipment between skate sessions resting this time - presumably it was the girl’s brother had been approaching with hot chocolate for the pair when their time together came to an abrupt end.

  
“Lena, we’re leaving”

  
Climbing down, Lena’s hat was plucked from her head, and she would be hurried out of her skates - all the while avoiding an icy glare from Lillian who had apparently made it to the networking event after all.

  
“I don’t want you mingling with the help Lena, it’s unbecoming” was all that was uttered on the car ride home.

 

\- - -

  
Reading this entry gave Lena pause, looking back at her 10 year old self through her current lens of (relative) adulthood - Lena can only shake her head only realizing now how shortly after this party, her life would become so much more... well “on brand Luthor”.

Gone missing were her blue jeans, sweatshirts and T-shirt’s that had seen her best days- those spent tinkering with Lex in the workshop covered in grease or kept the chill at bay as she stubbornly stayed on the shore lost in the pages of her latest book.  Instead Lena found herself much more tailored, scheduled and supervised. It was as if she developed an allergy, never able to step out into the sun without a thorough survey for disastrous stray hair or a menacing wrinkled cloth - and of course, no threshold could be crossed without final appearance approval from Lillian.  

“You represent this family whoever you go Lena, never forget that”

 

Bringing herself back to the present Lena scoffs,

_As if the fragile Luthor legacy hinged solely on my wardrobe or the friends I kept._


	4. October 6th 2016

_June 4 2004_   
My new favorite movie is Harry Potter #3. It was someone’s birthday whose mom works with Dad. Hermione is so cool, and smart, taking all of those classes and saving the day! I wonder if Dad can make a time turner one day, let me read all the books I want to read. I don’t understand why all the girls I was sitting with like Draco so much, he’s kind of an idiot. 

\- - -  

Lena closes the journal after reading this particular entry - _Geez I had it bad for Hermione even_ . Lena remembers this was one of the first positive representations of a strong and smart girl in a movie that was “supposed” to be all about the chosen golden chosen boy who lived.

_I should really finish watching that Emma Watson interview with Gloria Steinem - maybe that will be my in flight entertainment_ _  
_

\- - -

It had been a long day at the office in preparation for the upcoming rebranding ceremony. In the midst of the mildly chaotic transition, Lena was squeezing in a meeting in Las Vegas. Normally she would send a representative to handle it on her behalf but given the sensitivity of the deal, Lena trusted next to no one with the daunting task. So here she was boarding the LuthorCorp Jet at 9pm for a 1am meeting in Vegas.

The plane ride was thankfully smooth and short, the YouTube video proved enough to occupy Lena's nerves, of course the whiskey always does seem to help some too.  The perks of being a Luthor weren't new to Lena by any means, however “CEO of LuthorCorp” perks continued to surprise her.  

Not more than two steps on the airfield, she was stepping into the privacy of the company limousine. It even seemed as though the traffic parted like the red sea for the youngest Luthor. The limo reached her destination in a matter of what felt like only minutes of traveling the majority of the Vegas Strip. No need for check in, Lena was promptly whisked to the top floor where she was greeted by her personal micro staff for the duration of her stay.

The penthouse was enormous, the entry spilled into large entertaining space with plush seating, and a full bar off to the side. The centerpiece of the space was certainly the view - a wall of windows drew Lena’s eyes up and out of the quarters, she was captivated by the vantage point the penthouse provided of the bustling city below. At some point she made her way about the rest of the residence, discovering a pair of guest suites flanking the kitchen and dining area - she makes note of the study tucked away in the corner of the penthouse adjacent to the entrance to the master.

Only after laying her bag on the bed of her suite, does Lena find herself less overwhelmed, she finds her calm and lets it wash over her. Venturing back into the main living area - she decides to handsomely tip and promptly dismiss the hovering staff for the evening - only her bodyguard, Chuck remained at his post.

It was nearly 11:30pm, Chuck confirms their departure in 30 minutes time. With a nod, Lena returns to the master suite.  Leaning on the shut door behind her, alone for the first moment in hours she lets out a sigh.

_Good lord Lex, did you really never learn to enjoy solitude?_

Shedding her travel attire Lena sets to prepare for her meeting. Tonight she would be attending a standing meeting with Maxwell Lord - a long term contact of Lex’s.  Lord’s company had done regular business with LuthorCorp in the past but in wake of the arrest, the relationship between the companies had become more inconsistent and unreliable at times. Lena had been sure he would cancel, however when a personal confirmation from Lord himself came through her inbox, Lena knew this was an opportunity that strategically, she couldn’t pass up on.

Always meticulous, she lays out the documents prepared by Jess - Lena reviews them as she automatically sets about her routine. After reading the document a final time, Lena catches her reflection in the floor length mirror.  Her dark features were accentuated by the low lighting of the suite and the trails of her pale skin only disrupted by the dark lace of her under garments. In one hand she held the proposal from Lord Tech. Pencil marks scattered the page, with the writing utensil tucked behind her ear. In her other arm, her armor for the evening was draped.

_Who would have thought even a year ago that I would be standing here_

Returning the documents to their file, Lena dons her dress. It seemed unassuming and harmless enough on the hanger, certainly didn’t scream “billionaire CEO”, but when paired with her marble complexion and piercing emerald eyes, it’s absolutely transcendent. The medium length garment is a cotton blend of midnight black. A simple neck line draws complex perfect angles that accentuate her collar bones and long muscled line of her neck. The fabric meets mid sternum allowing her curves to cast the right kind of shadows nestled above a fitted waistband. Porcelain legs elegantly extend downward, contacting the floor via ankle height wedge boots, black of course, completing the look and giving the petite brunette the slightest of boost to her stature.

Lena was never one to flaunt her looks, objectively she knew she was attractive - but arching eyebrows, distracting jawlines and physical beauty were just that, skin deep. It wasn’t where Lena held her stock of self worth. She can never be sure when the mindshift was made - but at some point along the way, after years of agonizing over her appearance Lena was no longer bothered by the physical facade she donned while playing her role as a Luthor. She could always find her strength from the inside, independent of the influence of others - her intellect, her steeled mental determination, her quick wit, these were her superpowers - These are what Maxwell Lord was truly up against this evening.

\- - -

_October 6th (technically 7th … at almost 4am) 2016_

_Successful meeting with Maxwell tonight - I don’t think he knew what he was in for when he met me. Enjoyed this quote from the Emma Watson/Gloria Steinem interview I watched on the plane._

_“Our bodies are instruments, not ornaments...We should celebrate our different shapes and sizes, our caesarean scars and all the other beautiful imperfections that make us who we are. I hope every woman in this room goes home tonight, looks in the mirror and says, ‘Yes, this is fan-fucking-tastic!'” -Gloria Steinem_

_I love this woman_

_-L_

\- - -

The meeting with Lord was set at the theater for the Cirque de Solei show, “Mystere”. It was advertised as an artistic acrobatic show not unlike other productions Lena had seen in the past. The glaring difference however is that Lena found herself entering an otherwise empty theater Chuck in tow. One Maxwell Lord was perched comfortably at a table set for two in what should have been the front row of the theater.

_Well this is excessive_

“The elusive Lena Luthor, so good to finally meet you” Lord rises from his seat to take Lena’s hand - which she successfully manages to supress to only a handshake, resisting the obvious attempt to tug her into an embrace. “It’s good to put a face to the proposals Mr. Lord” Lena replies smoothly as she settles into her seat.

“I hope you don’t mind, I took the liberty of ordering for you - the show should start soon” He says as he begins to pour wine for the pair. “The cast has agreed to host and perform for us this evening”.

Less than impressed Lena decides to tread lightly (for now)- Their meal arrives and the show begins.

The performance is acrobatic based, gorgeous spandex clad artists performing acrobatics on silks, stilts, trapeze - you name it they jumped, climbed and spun on it. It was spectacular viewing, the music surrounded the theater, topless women suspended from the ceiling, dancing and striking drums - this seemed to be the only bit Lord was paying attention to.

_Oh Maxwell, I see why you and Lex got along_

After their private show concluded, their meeting continued, this time with whiskey in hand. “I can’t say I remember enjoying bourbon with a woman before” Lord admits.

“Interesting, It’s been my experience that people in general discount the smooth fire of a good bourbon, men included”.

Before Lena could continue, they were greeted by some of the performers. It would seem Lord was attempting to maximize his power play. Not only did her exercise control throughout their meeting (that felt more like an overcompensating attempt at a date), he had bought out the theater for an exclusive showing - keeping these performers well past their usual hours.

Lena was introduced to many a muscled and shirtless male performer while Lord found himself doted upon by some of the topless female performers. (who now doubled as wait staff apparently?)  Lena had stood to greet the performers and thank them for the show, complementing particular sequences and stunts. As she finished with the male performers, she successfully distanced herself from them, leaving the men to occupy themselves with their own refreshments. Lena then turned her attention to the ladies that seemed to begrudgingly place themselves in Lord’s proximity. They were gorgeous, toned and lean women their bodies held with confidence but their faces obviously uncomfortable with the situation they found themselves in.  Lena meets the eyes of one of the performers,

“Jeanne? Is that you?” she asks as she approaches.

“Lee! It’s really you!” the woman exclaims.

Obviously confused Lord finds himself glancing between the two women - Lena catches his eye as she embraces the scantily clad artist. “How is Isabel? She must be such a handful these days” Lena asks as she releases the woman to arms length.

“She’s into everything these days, equally invested in dinosaurs and gymnastics at the moment” Jeanne beams as she talks of her daughter “Thank you again for sending her to that science camp that summer, she hasn’t stopped exploring and experimenting since!”

Clearing his throat Lord stands to address the women. “We go back, I followed her career after graduation but it has been entirely too long” Lena explains.

“So it would seem” Lord says with the slightest annoyance to his voice.

“It is truly as pleasure to see you Jeanne” Lena says as she embraces the woman again tightly, “but you know what they say about mixing business and pleasure” Lena teases with a quick quirk of her eyebrow as she reaches for her clutch. Handing Jeanne her card with her private number scribbled on the back, she insists Jeanne call her to arrange a proper reunion. Thanking the artists again for sharing their craft, the group takes the cue from the Luthor that they are dismissed. Out of the corner of her eye Lena spots Chuck’s attempt at hiding a smirk.

Settling back in her seat, crossing her legs and raising her glass to her lips, Lena resumes the meeting. “So Mr. Lord, let’s talk about this Omegahedron”

\- - -

Lena sits at the bar of the LuthorCorp penthouse, tea in hand as she closes her journal for the night. Lena Luthor had closed the deal, effectively her first step in taking to company in the direction of L-Corp. The Omegahedron was secured and out of the hands of not only Lord himself, but now it was out of reach of any of Lord or Lex’s contacts who would want to continue to develop anti-alien tech.

\- - -

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emma Watson in conversation with Gloria Steinem
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm6ESsMlvYE
> 
> \- - -
> 
> Magnificent History of Women and Whiskey
> 
> https://www.stuffmomnevertoldyou.com/podcasts/magnificent-history-women-whiskey.htm
> 
>  
> 
> twitter : @quinnschuyler


	5. Chapter 5: October 7th 2016

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again, hope you enjoy

 

Lena awoke later that morning after catching a few hours of sleep following her meeting with Lord. Thumbing and thinking through her journal Lena sipped her coffee. Black frames balanced delicately on her porcelain face with her inky hair draping loosely over her shoulders. Gentle fingers peered out from the top long sleeves of the oversized grey cardigan - wrapping carefully around the smooth ceramic of her coffee mug. Smirking to herself at some of her previous entries. Cautiously closing the worn notebook Lena pauses a moment reflecting on her time in boarding school.

_Well, I haven’t thought of her in a while._

“Her” was Reagan and she was arguably Lena’s personal flavor of kryptonite, and one of the few people Lena had known through both boarding school and college.

Lena’s thoughts were disrupted by her phone alerting her to her itinerary change - It would seem high winds had delayed all flights out of Vegas by a few hours. Refilling her mug, Lena settles nestled into one of the couches overlooking the strip, journal and coffee in hand, Lena braces herself for the entries she’s coming up on.

\- - -

_November 11th 2005_

_Note to self, look up boy bands, seems to be all anyone is talking about from their childhood ..._

“Of course I like N’sync , I just guess I can’t remember specifically swooning over any of those over any of those frosted tipped boys at the moment” Lena does her best to hide the exasperation and annoyance in her voice. “Well, at least that answer is better than last week - I still don’t get what you liked about Howie from BSB anyway.” Veronica teases with eyebrows waggling. Lena winces from behind the pages of her book trying not to re-live her latest failure to assimilate. Only when she was confident the crimson had faded from her cheeks did she dare to look over the top of the page at her roommate. To her relief, Veronica had already relented and was slinging her bag over her shoulder- Lena catches the middle of what she could only assume was a grumbling ramble about a group project with Brian she was clearly dreading.

With a push of her glasses and an unfurling of her raven hair Lena straightens up in her favorite chair, she waves to Veronica and offers ambiguous tidbits of moral support to her departing roomie. Lena swears she hears a faint groan of annoyance as Veronica latches the door behind her.

“Finally” Lena sighs and turns her attention back to her book. She’ll never understand the point of private school, let alone boarding school- although the occasional rare moments of privacy of her dormitory had been lifesaving for Lena at times. Precious moments she could just be Lena without pretense or presumption.

Stretching, she turns her attention back to her book. she hesitates, and takes a moment to appreciate the cover art of her book. Otherwise obscured from onlookers by a borrowed JK Rowling book jacket (survival skills she had learned the hard way from her time at the Luthor Manor) - her fingers trace the  lettering of the title with a kind of gratitude, spelling out “The Price of Salt”.

\- - -

Journaling became more difficult for Lena during her years at boarding school, the sheer lack of privacy and eventual betrayal from Veronica taught Lena to stay coded with her writings and to an extent, even remaining cryptic with herself. She went about her days buried in her coursework, only Lena Luthor could make the insurmountable amount of coursework that doubling math and science classes look feasible  - let alone enjoyable. She spent hours that stretched into the evenings and early mornings working away at assignments, and also always made time to cradle a cup of tea and dive into her leisure reading as well.

The pure functionality of her daily life was a delicate dance for Lena, working towards her multiple academic goals with…. Distractions… certainly made things that more tricky. Lena had always known she had a type - athletic, smart, sometimes a bit of sass and wit would also peak her interest.  It would only be much later that she could even dream of adding the qualities of “kind, caring and genuine” to her “type” of ideal partner as well. But at this particular stage in her life, Lena found herself in awe of the resident yoga-toned mousey blonde classmate who worked the reference desk of the library - Reagan.

\---

Lena sits in the quad with her text book abandoned next to her in favor of her latest leisure book propped in her lap. Stretching, she cranes her neck skywards catching sporadic glimpses of blue peeking through the network of branches and leaves casting shade over her study space.

“This is nice” she whispers.

“It is” comes a reply from Lena’s side, the heard response is paired with the feeling of delicate fingers brushing against her as Lena allows her eyes to gently close.

“Lena” comes another whisper, fingers dance up and down her arm now, traveling in longer spurts.

“Yes?” she replies from closed eyes.

“Lena hey…” she feels hands squeezing her shoulders as a dull humming of the fluorescent lights reaches her ears.

_That’s weird, it's raining today…and how did I end up in the quad_

“Lena sweetie...” comes another whisper.

“What’s that babe?" 

 _did I say babe?_ Lena questions to herself.

"… OH!” Lena exclaims loudly, jerking upright in her seat.  

She was in the silent section of the library, stationed at a cubicle and was presently receiving a surround sound dose of “SHUSH” from her colleagues for her outburst. Mortified, Lena clasps her hands over her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut. There’s a gentle touch on her back, rubbing small circles. Frozen still by the touch, Lena slowly spins in her chair. Peeking her one eye open, she comes face to face with the freckled angel herself.

Reagan is grinning, obviously stifling a laugh but she stayed crouched next to Lena with her palms pressed together and resting gently on her lips. Lena isn’t quite sure what her own face is doing in that moment as she stares at the pale blue-green eyed goddess in front of her.

_Does she even have eye freckles? This might be my new favorite thing._

The last bits of sleep have trickled away at this point, and Lena becomes aware of the climbing heat of a blush creeping up her neck and reaching her cheeks.

“Oh my g-” Lena is cut off by another round of “SHUSH” from the room.

Chuckling softly, Reagan steadies herself with a hand on Lena’s thigh as she reaches across to scribble in the margins of Lena’s lecture notes. Lena is a statue as Reagan’s hair delicately falls between the two of them.

 _It should be illegal to smell THAT good !_ she tells herself.

Dazed again Lena Lena paws blindly for her lecture notes  as she watches Reagan leave, weaving through the shelves of books towards the exit. Having grasped her paper, Lena locates the soft curling handwriting at the corner of the sheet.

“You work too hard… Coffee? My treat”.

Eyes wide, Lena looks up to see Reagan casting her a look over her shoulder as the door to the stairwell swings closed between them.

_well fuck… good luck studying at all anyway after THAT Luthor, you might as well go_

**Author's Note:**

> First go at writing a fic - thank you for your patience and feedback =]


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